Reaching Into The Darkness
by JenD16
Summary: After keith dies, Brooke tries to help karen when Lucas doesn't know how to.


**I don't own the characters**

**Rachel's Cabin- right after they arrived**

Brooke saw Lucas sitting on the swing all by himself. He looked like he was in his own world. Upon closer inspection, Brooke noticed the tears streaming down his face. She felt so sad for him and Karen. She had loved Keith too, so she could only imagine what Lucas was feeling. She walked over to him cautiously in case he didn't want company. When she got to the swing, he looked up at her. Tears were streaming down his face uncontrollably and his eyes were red as if he had been crying for hours. Brooke's heart broke when she saw how much pain he was in. Brooke sat down next to him and threw her arms around him. Lucas turned to her and buried his face into her shoulder.

"I miss him so much." He sobbed into her shirt.

"I know, I know." Brooke repeated soothingly, but her voice breaking at the same time.

They stayed like that for a while. Lucas cried into Brooke, while she tried her best to comfort him. After Lucas stopped sobbing, he still kept his head on her shoulder. He didn't say anything, or move. Silent tears once more made their way down his face, as well as Brooke's. He finally picked his head up and looked at her. Brooke leaned over and gave him a comforting kiss.

"I wish I knew how to help my mom. She just stays in her room." Lucas said quietly.

"Oh Lucas, I wish I knew too." Brooke replied, also quietly.

**Karen's house**

Brooke made her way up the porch steps. Lucas was out with Nathan just having brother time. The conversation that Brooke had with Lucas at the cabin kept replaying over in her mind. It had been two days since they came back and Karen was still in the same shape and Lucas was getting more worried. Brooke was going to see if Karen would talk to her. She still had no idea how to help, but she wanted to try. She got to the front door and voted against knocking. She opened the door and went inside. The house was empty, but Karen's bedroom door was closed, so she knew Karen was in there. She walked over to the door slowly, and quietly. She was nervous that she would only make matters worse. She got to the bedroom door and she thought about what she was going to say, but still nothing came to her. She gave up on a game plan and just knocked gently on the door.

"Karen, it's Brooke." She said softly.

She received no answer.

"I am going to come in."

Brooke waited to see if she would get a response. She still didn't so she just opened the bedroom door. Karen just lay under the covers on her bed. Her face was tear stained, but there were no fresh tears present. Her hair was all over the place and her face was pale. Karen looked up at her Brooke. The look in Karen's eyes was a mix of sadness with loss. Not the loss of Keith, but loss of herself. It was like the real Karen wasn't even in there. Brooke just walked over the bed and sat next to Karen. When Karen didn't object, Brooke then wrapped her arms around Karen.

"I am so sorry Karen; I wish I knew how to help you. Everyone is really worried about you, especially Lucas."

At the mention of Lucas, Karen looked up again at Brooke, but still didn't say anything. Brooke then continued on.

"He loves you so much and so do I. Along with Haley, Nathan, Peyton, Mouth, Skills, and Whitey. We all want to help you, but we don't know how." Brooke's voice broke a little, but she restrained the tears.

Karen still didn't move or say anything. Brooke wondered if she was making things worse. Brooke had an idea of what to say now, but was afraid to. She then took another look at Karen and remembered the conversation with Lucas and decided she should say it.

"I know I have no right to say this but, what would Keith say if he saw you like this?" Brooke said it as gently and softly as humanly possible.

The mention of Keith's name inspired tears to start rolling down Karen's face. Karen started to sob quietly, but she also sat up in bed. The covers fell off of her body and it looked dangerously skinny. Brooke didn't know what Karen was going to do, so she just sat there. Karen looked Brooke straight in the eyes. At first Brooke thought Karen was going to smack her, but then she felt Karen's arms around her. Karen had buried her face into her should as Lucas had done at the cabin. She let the tears flow out of her eyes and onto Brooke's shirt. She cried for five minutes, before she pulled herself up. Finally Karen spoke.

"Keith would want me to try to live my life." Karen's voice was thread and very quiet.

"Yeah." Brooke nodded in agreement; both of them had tears running down their faces now.

"I need to get out of this bed. Take a shower" Karen said, more as a realization than a statement.

"When was the last time you've eaten?" Brooke asked.

"I can't remember." Karen admitted sadly.

"How about you come out to the couch and I will make you something to eat." Brooke suggested.

Brooke really wanted Karen to eat something and come out of her room, and prayed that she would accept the offer. Karen nodded and got off her bed. She just stood there at first, not moving. It was the first time she had gotten out of bed in days and she felt weak. Brooke noticed the frail look and grabbed Karen's arm and led her to the couch. Brooke sat her down and was about to go make Karen food, but Karen pulled Brooke back down on the couch.

"Thank you." Karen said gratefully.

Brooke started to cry and wrapped Karen in a hug once more. Karen returned the hug and she too started crying. Both of them stayed wrapped in each other's arms not letting go.

Lucas walked into his house and saw his mom and girlfriend on the couch. They girls heard Lucas come in and they separated. Karen took one of her arms and held it out to Lucas, the other still on Brooke's back. Lucas walked over and was developed into a hug with the two of them. He joined in on the tears with them. Lucas leaned over towards his mom.

"I love you." He told her.

"I love you too Lucas."

Lucas then leaned over to Brooke and whispered 'thank you' in her ear. Lucas felt better knowing his mom was on her way to healing a little too.

**I absolutely hated that Keith died. And it annoys me that Dan is still living and not in jail.**

**Please leave me reviews.**


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